A Birthday to Rue and to Rapture
by Panda818
Summary: Hermione's Birthday has come around, is it going to be same old, or will her wish come true? My entry for the September Twin Exchange!


**A/N: This is my entry for the Twin Exchange Monthly Challenge.**

**Prompt: **

**Purple**

**Crookshanks**

**Humming**

Pairing: Hermione/Fred

**Quotes:**

"**I said some awful that night, didn't I?"**

"**You know I'm not a fan of Wizard's Chess."**

"**The mere thought of it has my finger tingling!"**

**(I like incorporating almost if not all the requirements:P)**

**I'm including the fact that Hermione is a year older than thought because in her Third year, when she used the Time-Turner. It added a year to her life, so she's two years older than Harry instead of one. Pointless to add, but I always include that.**

September 19th, 2005 was a day to be abhorred by a Miss Hermione Granger, for this day was none other that her 27th birthday. Today was most definitely the worst birthday ever. Her parents and her still had a rocky relationship because they still couldn't understand why she protected them by erasing their memories, they didn't see the war anywhere, therefore couldn't comprehend the horror of it. So in lesser words, they pretty much told her to 'eff off' for her birthday, because they were 'busy.' To put the cherry on top, she was demoted at work. Apparently she wasn't putting enough oomph into it. At this moment, she was sitting in the Weasley's front room waiting for this extravagant ordeal Molly planned to be over. Don't mistake that she was upset with Molly, she loved the woman dearly, but with all the happy couples surrounding her either engaged, married, or married with a flock of miniature Weasleys, it was a bitter reminder that she was still single. She just wanted to curl up with Sense and Sensibility and an extremely large bowl of chocolate ice cream. _'What I really wish I had was a man to call my own,' _she thought wistfully.

"Happeeeeey Birfthday, Minny, no, Money, er Mooney, no, hmm 'bout Miney…." A very drunk Ron slurred, appearing out of nowhere.

"Umph, thank you Ron," she mumbled into his shirt, as he was now on top of her in a teetering hug that was nearing dangerous. Just as Hermione was about to fall backwards, she felt a pair of strong arms on her back – besides Ron's – holding her in place.

Hermione looked up to the blue oceans of Fred Weasley's eyes.

"Best be careful dear, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." He said this then pulled Ron off her and plunked him in a close armchair. Hermione took this moment to admire Fred for, at this, Ron was now clinging to him and incoherently mumbling about a birthday kiss thinking Fred was Hermione. He really wasn't hard on the eyes, though he did a haircut. He and George kept their hair long so that they could still resemble one another from a distance, though Fred still had a scar running down the length of his face from when the wall crushed him in the Final Battle. The years of Quidditch, pranking and fighting dark wizards didn't hurt him. Sure, he wasn't as fit as he was ten years ago, but he was still quite trim. In celebration of her birthday, he wore black slacks with a bright purple button-up shirt in place of his regular wizarding robes. Did he know that was her favorite color? It had to be more than a coincidence that his bright green dragon hide coat and shoes matched her purple and green ensemble to a tee.

Fred finally disengaged himself from his little brother and turned to Hermione. Smiling he asked, "How is our birthday girl?"

"Good and you," she answered on auto pilot.

"Dandy, Granger. Now since you're obviously lying to me, you need this," he said, handing her a Firewhiskey.

Frowning, she took it from him. She was disappointed that people could easily see through the façade that she worked hard to keep up. "Why do you think I'm lying?"

"I may be a Weasley boy, but I'm not as dense as that," he gestured to Ron, who was now in a heated discussion with a potted plant. "But then again, none of as dense as that, 'cept maybe Perce."

"He may be my friend, but you are right there. Nice outfit by the way, but the color choice…" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

"Remarkable? Dashing? Manly? Sexy?"

"I was looking for something more like extremely coincidental?"

"Ah, no, it's not that. I might've accidentally squeezed it out of Ginny that these were your favorite colors and I wanted to please the queen of the evening. Though I do look incredible, I must say you pull it off even better than myself."

She blushed, at his compliment or the large amount of Firewhiskey she had consumed, she didn't know.

"So, tell me Granger, what puts you in a pickle this fine evening. And don't say that you're fine because even though know one else notices, I can see through your little mask"

She didn't know what possessed her, but she started spouting all her problems of the past month, all the while, Fred kept his full attention on her, nodding and humming noncommittal replies the whole time. Hermione thought there must be a handbook on how to be the perfect man for any one, because he was the best listener in her life for quite sometime. At the end of her complaining speech, he sat with a thoughtful look on his face, humming as if trying to find the right words.

Hermione became more nervous the longer they sat like this until she cracked. "I'm sorry, Fred. I don't know what came over me, you don't need all of my problems on your shoulders."

"What? Nonsense! Come to me with any problems, complaints, death threats, or anything. As to your parents, well, they just don't understand, you can't really make them see everything that you did, and I know you don't want them to even if you could, that's why you hid them in the first place. All you can do is give them time; it's their choice whether or not they accept it. And I know they will, because who could deny you love? As for your work, they're nuts. If they treat you like this one more time, you better quit that bloody job. Come work at WWW with George and me! We'll pay you double what they offer, use my offer to make them put you at the top, because you dear, most certainly belong there. I'm serious about it and if they don't take it up, then come see George and me. Stop worrying and enjoy the time, love. This is your special day and you are going to enjoy it."

Forget reading the book. He wrote it.

"I, I, oh Fred." Hermione jumped out of her seat and hugged a stunned Fred Weasley. "You're the most amazing thing."

"Oh, I know, but it's nice to know you agree," he said with a cheeky smile on his face. "Well, I think it's time for your gift – hush, I think everyone else is a tad preoccupied and will forgive us, once they remember we were here." It was true, everyone was busy with their children, had left – though not without wishing Hermione the best – or playing Exploding Snap with George and Charlie.

Fred pulled out a small box covered in Weasley Wizard Wheezes paper, looking at her expectantly. Seeing his eager look, she sighed and began here meticulous way of unwrapping the box. The moment she got the paper off, the box opened itself and the object inside jumped out and began unshrinking itself. When it finished growing, Hermione could tell what it was easily. It looked like carpeted pieces of tube shaped up to be the Eiffel Tower with a giant stack of sweets at the bottom.

Seeing her polite confusion, Fred answered her unvoiced question, "It's for Crookshanks. I thought I owed him and you after the time I er, turned him blue and made him a midget cat. It's my way of saying sorry, along with you know, saying sorry." He had the decency to blush while saying this.

"Fred, it's wonderful. I honestly should be the one that's apologizing, I was too harsh on you."

"No, I deserved it, though I do recall you calling me something along the lines of 'incorrigible wretched bloody little-'"

"I get it, okay? I said some awful things that night, didn't I?"

"Well you had reason," he said smiling reassuringly. "But I hope this helps you see how sorry I am. I knew that you love the Eiffel Tower, and you said something about wanting a tower for Crookshanks to play on. Plus it was either this or a Wizard's chess set." He winked at her to let her know he was joking, everyone – except it seemed Ron – knew she hated Wizard chess.

"You know, I'm not a fan of Wizard's chess," she said sarcastically.

"Who does really? And I thought Crookshanks would like this better than cranky chess pieces, and of course I know of your sweet tooth," he added smirking.

Hermione was flabbergasted. How did he know all this about her? '_I hardly talk about myself… but how did he know this stuff?'_ "I don't know what to say."

"Yes, just say yes."

"Okay? Er, yes."

"Brilliant, I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven."

"What?" Hermione looked at the base of the tower and saw a note that couldn't of been there before. Snatching it up, she immediately recognized his untidy scrawl.

_Miss Hermione Granger,_

_Would you do me the honor of having you to dinner this Sunday evening at seven o'clock at the Frisky Fairy?_

Fred

She couldn't believe it. A date? With the hottest bachelor in the wizarding world to boot! Hermione could see under his jovial expression, he was terrified. Her birthday wish was coming true, so she said the only thing she could.

"The Frisky Fairy, Fred?"

"Of course! It's the best place in London, but you have to give me your real answer…"

She'll never know what possessed her. Be it the Firewhiskey, or her Gryffindor courage, but she'd never regret what she said next. "Fred Weasley, the mere thought of it has my fingers tingling! I would _love_ to go out with you."

A/N: So that's my entry. I tried to type this five days ago, but my life decided to turn upside down! If you really really liked this story (you did, admit it:P) then go vote for it on the Twin Exchange's profile! Thank you for reading, and a review would be awesome, God Bless! Also, Rapture has a few meanings, one being love, just thout I'd add that:P

**;)**


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